Eulemur fulvus sanfordi, le Lémur brun de Sanford (Madagascar)
Le Lémur brun de Sanford, Eulemur fulvus sanfordi est un Lémurien de taille moyenne, environ 90 cm, possédant une queue plus longue (55 cm) que son corps (40 cm). Eulemur fulvus sanfordi Lémur brun de Sanford Son aire de répartition est limité aux forêts tropicales humides primaires et secondaires du nord de Madagascar où l'on peut le rencontrer, notamment dans la forêt de la
Brins Mesa
For years my uncle raved about Sedona, telling me how beautiful the red rock landscape was, and every Christmas would encourage me to visit one day, saying that I would absolutely love the area. Well, that one day finally came. Two years ago my wife and I finally got the chance to visit Sedona. We spent the day hiking the Brins Mesa Trail, one of the more popular trails in the area. For details and photos from our hike, please click here . By the way, Sedona isn’t a bad place to visit for a mid-winter getaway!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Pity the Sage Grouse, Victim of Politics
| Sage Grouse (Wiki Commons) |
Sally Jewell, shiny new Secretary of the Interior, comes to northwest Colorado to discuss the threats to sage grouse — then shuts local news reporters out of a "public meeting," is rebuked by the Colorado Press Association.
She has not been in office long, but evidently she has picked up this "most transparent administration's ever" operating style.
Later she issues a typical bureaucrat's non-apology in which it's no one's fault.
Forgotten in all of this: what, if anything, can be done to help the sage grouse.
Are Backpackers Boycotting the Smokies?
Are backpackers boycotting the Smokies? Based on the number of backcountry overnight stays for 2013, I think you can say something definitely is going on.
Two weeks ago I reported that visitation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was down 6.7% in 2013. Earlier this week, one of the commentors on that posting asked about backcountry overnight stays in light of the new backcountry fees that were implemented back in February. If not familiar with this decision, suffice it to say that it's been an extremely controversial topic within the backpacking community since the fees were first proposed back in 2011.
In light of this controversy, I thought Tom's question was a valid one. Essentially: have the fees had an impact on backcountry overnight stays in the Smokies? It appears the answer to that question is yes. In 2013 there were only 62,863 backcountry overnight stays - a whopping 25.4% decline from the prior year. When compared to 2011, those same numbers are down 30.5%!
However, as with all statistics, you need to take into account a few caveats:
* The park was shutdown for 2 weeks during October due to the Federal Government shutdown. No doubt this impacted the numbers. For the sake of argument, since overall park visitation was down 6.7% in 2013, I think we can safely assume that backcountry overnight stays were also down by 6.7% - mainly due to the government shutdown. Roughly speaking, that would've added about 5012 additional backcountry nights, meaning, if there wasn't a government shutdown, total backcountry overnight stays would've been around 67,875 (I used the average for the 2000-2010 time frame as my baseline).
* There was a sharp increase in backcountry overnight stays in 2011 and 2012 when compared to the prior decade. Was this in response to the proposed fees? In other words, were backpackers getting out into the park while it was still free? I think it's very possible that some of that may have been going on.
Taking those two caveats into account, it's still obvious that backcountry overnight stays were negatively impacted in 2013. If we look at the trends (below) for the years prior to 2011, the average number of backcountry overnight stays was roughly 74,800. If we adjust the 2013 figures for the government shutdown, and use the 67,875 number instead, you could argue that backcountry overnight stays were off about 9.3% when compared to the long term trend. Moreover, that number is still the lowest figure over the last 13 years. It will be quite interesting to see what happens over the course of 2014.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Two weeks ago I reported that visitation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was down 6.7% in 2013. Earlier this week, one of the commentors on that posting asked about backcountry overnight stays in light of the new backcountry fees that were implemented back in February. If not familiar with this decision, suffice it to say that it's been an extremely controversial topic within the backpacking community since the fees were first proposed back in 2011.
In light of this controversy, I thought Tom's question was a valid one. Essentially: have the fees had an impact on backcountry overnight stays in the Smokies? It appears the answer to that question is yes. In 2013 there were only 62,863 backcountry overnight stays - a whopping 25.4% decline from the prior year. When compared to 2011, those same numbers are down 30.5%!
However, as with all statistics, you need to take into account a few caveats:
* The park was shutdown for 2 weeks during October due to the Federal Government shutdown. No doubt this impacted the numbers. For the sake of argument, since overall park visitation was down 6.7% in 2013, I think we can safely assume that backcountry overnight stays were also down by 6.7% - mainly due to the government shutdown. Roughly speaking, that would've added about 5012 additional backcountry nights, meaning, if there wasn't a government shutdown, total backcountry overnight stays would've been around 67,875 (I used the average for the 2000-2010 time frame as my baseline).
* There was a sharp increase in backcountry overnight stays in 2011 and 2012 when compared to the prior decade. Was this in response to the proposed fees? In other words, were backpackers getting out into the park while it was still free? I think it's very possible that some of that may have been going on.
Taking those two caveats into account, it's still obvious that backcountry overnight stays were negatively impacted in 2013. If we look at the trends (below) for the years prior to 2011, the average number of backcountry overnight stays was roughly 74,800. If we adjust the 2013 figures for the government shutdown, and use the 67,875 number instead, you could argue that backcountry overnight stays were off about 9.3% when compared to the long term trend. Moreover, that number is still the lowest figure over the last 13 years. It will be quite interesting to see what happens over the course of 2014.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Blog Stew Spit from Nozzles
¶ In Switzerland, says BLDGBLOG, winter is sculpted "by one wizard-like figure who is really just a stoned twenty-something in a wool hat, turning different parameters on and off and spraying whole new European landscapes into existence outside."
¶ Staying with Europe for a moment, this article comes from the British newspaper The Telegraph, but it is written by an American and reveals, among other things, what teenage girls do in hunting blinds. "How one nature lover was converted to deer-hunting: Could an ethically minded carnivore be converted to the law of the gun in his pursuit of organic meat in the Mississippi Delta?"
¶ How people panic during a disaster, most of them anyway. (Via Peter "Bayou Renaissance Man" Grant.)
¶ Staying with Europe for a moment, this article comes from the British newspaper The Telegraph, but it is written by an American and reveals, among other things, what teenage girls do in hunting blinds. "How one nature lover was converted to deer-hunting: Could an ethically minded carnivore be converted to the law of the gun in his pursuit of organic meat in the Mississippi Delta?"
¶ How people panic during a disaster, most of them anyway. (Via Peter "Bayou Renaissance Man" Grant.)
Towers o Power
| As Hawaiian Petroglyphs Foretold, These Forms Rise Above the Land |
For whatever reason, this week offers multiple news stories about the risks of trainloads of oil, which brings up the risks of pipelines of oil, not to mention trainloads of coal. Transporting fossil energy, it turns out, requires the occasional sacrifice of life and lung.
Here in the Green Northwest, several of us have spoken out against trains and pipes full o petrochemicals crossing our turf, because we do not want to breathe the exhaust from Asians burning Occidental fossils, because we do not want to abet climate destruction, and because we are sometimes obstreperous. Meanwhile, our lands are criss-crossed by power lines originating from the not-yet-fossilized rivers where dams harness The Flow for our own energy needs, and harness the damn flow of salmon people and their human allies.
| The path to this post |
I've gone as far as to divest, to forsake fossil fuel, but that does not absolve me of the damage done by power lines and the fishes diced and birds sliced by dams and wind turbines. Dams don't blow up like a trainload o' crude, and turbines don't spew toxic clouds, but the power lines emanating from them speed up the invasion of thistle and blackberry into heretofore native ecologies, not to mention the arrivals of yahoomans who leave behind a trail of 4-wheeler ruts and garbage.
| A hill just outside of Anytown, USA |
Whether the web be of rails, or pipes, or copper, it has been joined in recent decades by another web of ether. Throughout the republic, eminences, peaks, knolls and knobs are topped by towers relaying sellphone cignals and who knows what else across the air.
It is hard to find a spot anymore where towers of power do not intrude on the landscape. It may sound superstitious, but it's hard to think of this and not recall the words of elders on some of the Hawaiian islands as they noted that something changed when electricity and poles arrived, that a richer (and sometimes scarier) night gave way to something more predictable, but less awesome and interesting. Outside of a very few areas (some of them, ironically, maintained by the same government so interested in snooping on everywhere else), it's impossible not to be in a grid traced by transmission towers wired and wirelessley knit together.
Forest Visitors Urged to Avoid Ice on Waterways
The U.S. Forest Service is discouraging visitors to the Pisgah National Forest from walking on ice formed along area lakes and rivers. The warning comes following reports of people walking on ice formed on Lake Powhatan outside of Asheville, N.C.
Walking on ice is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
Visitors who walk on ice run the risk of falling through the ice and drowning or suffering hypothermia. For more information on hypothermia, click here .
Forest Service officials urge visitors to take additional safety measures to protect themselves, family members and pets when visiting the national forests in winter.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Walking on ice is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
Visitors who walk on ice run the risk of falling through the ice and drowning or suffering hypothermia. For more information on hypothermia, click here .
Forest Service officials urge visitors to take additional safety measures to protect themselves, family members and pets when visiting the national forests in winter.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
NC Wildlife Commission Helps Construct New Trails near Blue Ridge Parkway
Hikers interested in trails near the Blue Ridge Parkway now have three new trails to explore, thanks to a partnership involving private citizens, The Conservation Fund, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the N.C.Wildlife Resources Commission.
The three trails wind through Wildlife Commission game lands in western North Carolina — the Rose Creek Trail and Little Table Rock Mountain Trail on Pisgah Game Land and the Saddle Mountain Trail on Mitchell River Game Land. The Rose Creek Trail is a 1.3-mile loop trail that is rated easy. The Little Table Rock Trail is a straight 2.1-mile trail that provides a moderate hiking challenge, particularly if hikers plan for a 4.2-mile round trip. The Saddle Mountain Trail is a 2-mile loop trail that is rated moderate.
The trails are accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway or nearby access roads on Commission game lands. Wildlife Commission staff marked trail heads with stonemarkers, as well as informational and directional signs.
Each trail offers unique views that date back to the pre-Revolutionary War era when Native Americans and early settlers walked through the same forested mountains, according to Kip Hollifield, a land management biologist with the Commission.
The Rose Creek Trail is part of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail that follows the route taken by Patriot militia when they crossed the mountains on foot and horseback in late September 1781 on their way to defeat British-led forces at Kings Mountain. The trail generally follows Little Rose Creek for much of its length through oak and cove forests, Hollifield said.
The Little Table Rock Trail also winds through oak and cove forests, but the summit offers multiple views of different natural landmarks.
“Hikers can view the North Toe River Valley to the north, and Roan Mountain is visible at the skyline to the north on clear days,” Hollifield said. “The view to the east is not as good, but hikers can see Linville Mountain during months when trees are bare.”
The Saddle Mountain Trail goes through oak and mixed oak-pine forests that also feature a dense understory of mountain laurel along much of the route.
“Hikers will notice where prescribed burning has been conducted along the trail to suppress the mountain laurel understory and create browse for wildlife,” Hollifield said. “At the summit of Saddle Mountain, hikers can view the Mitchell and Fisher River valleys to the south and east. The Sauratown Mountains, including Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain, also may be seen in the distance.”
Because the three trails are located on game lands, Hollifield recommended that hikers wear a blaze orange garment during hunting seasons — September-February and April-May.
Partnerships involving state government, non-governmental organizations and private citizens, including Fred and Alice Stanback, made the trails possible, according to Gordon Warburton, mountain area ecoregion supervisor for the Commission.
The three Stanback Trails are family-friendly trails designed for casual hikers. The trails, which are easy to moderate, are well-marked and accessible from gamelands roads or directly from the Blue Ridge Parkway. More information, please click here . For maps of game lands in western North Carolina, click here . Trailhead addresses and directions are as follows:
Rose Creek Trail: Park at the Hefner Gap overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Parkway milepost 325.9). Walk across the Parkway to Old Woods Road. The trail follows the Old Woods Road to Altapass Road (SR 1121). Alternatively, from the Heffner Gap overlook, travel south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to McKinney Gap. At McKinney Gap, turn right onto Altapass Road. Continue for 0.25 miles to the parking area on the right.
Little Table Rock Mountain: From the Heffner Gap overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Parkway milepost 325.9) travel north 1.25 mi. and turn left onto Bear Den Mountain road (SR 1126) immediately before passing through the Blue Ridge Parkway seasonal gate. Travel Bear Den Mountain road for 0.1 mi. to stop sign. Continue straight onto Humpback Mountain road (SR 1128). Continue for 0.5 mi. and turn right onto Whiterock Road. Follow signs to the parking area.
Saddle Mountain Trail: From the intersection of U.S. Hwy 21 and the Blue Ridge Parkway travel the Blue Ridge Parkway 7.75 mi. north and turn right onto Saddle Mountain Church Road (SR1461) (Parkway milepost 221.8). Travel approximately 200 ft. and turn right onto Mountain Lake Road (SR 1481). Travel approximately 300 ft. and turn left onto game land access road. Travel gameland access road 0.5 mi. to parking area.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
The three trails wind through Wildlife Commission game lands in western North Carolina — the Rose Creek Trail and Little Table Rock Mountain Trail on Pisgah Game Land and the Saddle Mountain Trail on Mitchell River Game Land. The Rose Creek Trail is a 1.3-mile loop trail that is rated easy. The Little Table Rock Trail is a straight 2.1-mile trail that provides a moderate hiking challenge, particularly if hikers plan for a 4.2-mile round trip. The Saddle Mountain Trail is a 2-mile loop trail that is rated moderate.
The trails are accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway or nearby access roads on Commission game lands. Wildlife Commission staff marked trail heads with stonemarkers, as well as informational and directional signs.
Each trail offers unique views that date back to the pre-Revolutionary War era when Native Americans and early settlers walked through the same forested mountains, according to Kip Hollifield, a land management biologist with the Commission.
The Rose Creek Trail is part of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail that follows the route taken by Patriot militia when they crossed the mountains on foot and horseback in late September 1781 on their way to defeat British-led forces at Kings Mountain. The trail generally follows Little Rose Creek for much of its length through oak and cove forests, Hollifield said.
The Little Table Rock Trail also winds through oak and cove forests, but the summit offers multiple views of different natural landmarks.
“Hikers can view the North Toe River Valley to the north, and Roan Mountain is visible at the skyline to the north on clear days,” Hollifield said. “The view to the east is not as good, but hikers can see Linville Mountain during months when trees are bare.”
The Saddle Mountain Trail goes through oak and mixed oak-pine forests that also feature a dense understory of mountain laurel along much of the route.
“Hikers will notice where prescribed burning has been conducted along the trail to suppress the mountain laurel understory and create browse for wildlife,” Hollifield said. “At the summit of Saddle Mountain, hikers can view the Mitchell and Fisher River valleys to the south and east. The Sauratown Mountains, including Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain, also may be seen in the distance.”
Because the three trails are located on game lands, Hollifield recommended that hikers wear a blaze orange garment during hunting seasons — September-February and April-May.
Partnerships involving state government, non-governmental organizations and private citizens, including Fred and Alice Stanback, made the trails possible, according to Gordon Warburton, mountain area ecoregion supervisor for the Commission.
The three Stanback Trails are family-friendly trails designed for casual hikers. The trails, which are easy to moderate, are well-marked and accessible from gamelands roads or directly from the Blue Ridge Parkway. More information, please click here . For maps of game lands in western North Carolina, click here . Trailhead addresses and directions are as follows:
Rose Creek Trail: Park at the Hefner Gap overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Parkway milepost 325.9). Walk across the Parkway to Old Woods Road. The trail follows the Old Woods Road to Altapass Road (SR 1121). Alternatively, from the Heffner Gap overlook, travel south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to McKinney Gap. At McKinney Gap, turn right onto Altapass Road. Continue for 0.25 miles to the parking area on the right.
Little Table Rock Mountain: From the Heffner Gap overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Parkway milepost 325.9) travel north 1.25 mi. and turn left onto Bear Den Mountain road (SR 1126) immediately before passing through the Blue Ridge Parkway seasonal gate. Travel Bear Den Mountain road for 0.1 mi. to stop sign. Continue straight onto Humpback Mountain road (SR 1128). Continue for 0.5 mi. and turn right onto Whiterock Road. Follow signs to the parking area.
Saddle Mountain Trail: From the intersection of U.S. Hwy 21 and the Blue Ridge Parkway travel the Blue Ridge Parkway 7.75 mi. north and turn right onto Saddle Mountain Church Road (SR1461) (Parkway milepost 221.8). Travel approximately 200 ft. and turn right onto Mountain Lake Road (SR 1481). Travel approximately 300 ft. and turn left onto game land access road. Travel gameland access road 0.5 mi. to parking area.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Study: Hikers are poorly able to recognize Lyme disease
According to an article recently published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, the official Journal of the Wilderness Medical Society, 46% of Appalachian Trail hikers are unable to recognize symptoms of Lyme disease (using photographs).
In the study conducted between June of 2011 and May of 2012, 379 hikers responded to a survey given by 4 researchers at 3 geographically separate locations at or proximate to the Appalachian Trail. Ten percent, or 37 of those hikers, stated that they had been diagnosed with Lyme disease as a result of hiking.
Lyme disease is an infectious disease that's transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Early symptoms of the disease may include fever, headache, and fatigue. A rash occurs in 70–80% of infected persons at the site of the tick bite, after a delay of 3–30 days (average is about 7 days), and may or may not appear as the well-publicized bull's-eye (erythema migrans). The rash is only rarely painful or itchy, although it may be warm to the touch. Approximately 20–30% of infected persons do not experience a rash. Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early. Delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat.
The disease has been reported in all states with the exception of Montana. However, 99% of all reported cases are confined to five geographic areas: New England, Mid-Atlantic, East-North Central, South Atlantic, and West North-Central.
The study (abstract ) warns that with nearly 2,500 Appalachian Trail hikers entering the endemic area for as long as 6 months, exposure to the disease is likely.
Prevention:
The CDC recommends wearing protective clothing, including a hat, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers tucked into socks or boots. Light-colored clothing makes the tick more easily visible before it attaches itself. People should also use special care in handling and allowing outdoor pets inside homes because they can bring ticks into the house.
The CDC also recommends using insect repellents with Picaridin, IR3535, DEET or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus to repel ticks. Additionally, Permethrin sprayed on clothing kills ticks on contact.
After returning from a hike, or any area where you might have been exposed, closely check your skin and clothes for ticks. Immediately remove them from your body using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly and as close to your skin as possible, and then pull the tick's body away from your skin with a steady motion. Make sure to clean the area with soap and water. Removing infected ticks within 24 hours reduces your risk of being infected with the Lyme disease bacterium.
For additional information on Lyme disease, please visit the CDC website . For a first hand account on what it's like contracting the disease, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
In the study conducted between June of 2011 and May of 2012, 379 hikers responded to a survey given by 4 researchers at 3 geographically separate locations at or proximate to the Appalachian Trail. Ten percent, or 37 of those hikers, stated that they had been diagnosed with Lyme disease as a result of hiking.
Lyme disease is an infectious disease that's transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Early symptoms of the disease may include fever, headache, and fatigue. A rash occurs in 70–80% of infected persons at the site of the tick bite, after a delay of 3–30 days (average is about 7 days), and may or may not appear as the well-publicized bull's-eye (erythema migrans). The rash is only rarely painful or itchy, although it may be warm to the touch. Approximately 20–30% of infected persons do not experience a rash. Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early. Delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat.
The disease has been reported in all states with the exception of Montana. However, 99% of all reported cases are confined to five geographic areas: New England, Mid-Atlantic, East-North Central, South Atlantic, and West North-Central.
The study (abstract ) warns that with nearly 2,500 Appalachian Trail hikers entering the endemic area for as long as 6 months, exposure to the disease is likely.
Prevention:
The CDC recommends wearing protective clothing, including a hat, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers tucked into socks or boots. Light-colored clothing makes the tick more easily visible before it attaches itself. People should also use special care in handling and allowing outdoor pets inside homes because they can bring ticks into the house.
The CDC also recommends using insect repellents with Picaridin, IR3535, DEET or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus to repel ticks. Additionally, Permethrin sprayed on clothing kills ticks on contact.
After returning from a hike, or any area where you might have been exposed, closely check your skin and clothes for ticks. Immediately remove them from your body using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly and as close to your skin as possible, and then pull the tick's body away from your skin with a steady motion. Make sure to clean the area with soap and water. Removing infected ticks within 24 hours reduces your risk of being infected with the Lyme disease bacterium.
For additional information on Lyme disease, please visit the CDC website . For a first hand account on what it's like contracting the disease, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
| Welcome to the Foxtrot Delta Alpha Hotel |
Here's a shot from Hansville, by Norwegian Point. Close as the crow flies to Pugetopolis, but it feels a lot more remote standing there, buffeted by the wind.
Looking toward the water beyond the flock of shorebirds, there's Useless Bay (named for Ensign Ulysses F. Useless, fleet scapegoat of the Wilkes Expedition), then Whidbey Island, and then Mounts Baker, Shuksan, etc.
Winthrop, Sun Mountain, Patterson Mountain and the lower Wolf Creek drainage as seen from Virginia Ridge
Winthrop, Sun Mountain, Patterson Mountain and the lower Wolf Creek drainage as seen from Virginia Ridge
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
58NationalParks produced this excellent overview of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If this video inspires you to visit the Smokies this year, the best way to explore this wonderful park is to hike along one of the many trails that meander throughout the park.
If you do plan to visit the Smokies this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings to help with your vacation planning.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
If you do plan to visit the Smokies this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings to help with your vacation planning.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
| Bears at Camera Trap Spring |
Since the October 2012 forest fire behind our house, I have been tracking changes in the land, particularly the public land (the highest ridge) that was re-seeded by the federal Bureau of Land Management in April 2013.
In late September, I decided to put a scout camera there at Camera Trap Spring, my favorite spot, and leave it for a few months.
The spring is on BLM land, although not easily accessible without trespassing, if you're not local. Nevertheless, I have seen boot tracks up there — rarely.
Also, Camera Trap Spring has attracted camera-hating bears in the past.
Thinking I was clever, I took my worst camera, spray-painted it flat black for camouflage, and hung it on a burnt ponderosa pine with a black strap.
And it was there when M. and I hiked to the spring in early December. Based on weather recorded (this camera is too cheap to record date and time), I think its batteries had died in mid-November, but not before recording more than two hundred images.
I wished that I had left a better camera up there!
There were groups of deer, flocks of turkeys — and to my surprise, flocks of crows landing at the spring.
Something did knock or bump the camera at one point about 45° from horizontal.
And bears — this cinnamon-phase black bear and her cub made several visits, and the low-light photo almost makes up for the low-quality image.
Given the really poor crop of acorns, apples, and other favorite bear foods in 2013, I was surprised to see them, and I hope they went into hibernation in good shape.
So many questions. We live among them — or they live among us — and yet it feels like they are in separate worlds. Maybe if I was the kind of person who could just leave everything and watch the bears day after day, I might feel as though I had entered their world, to some degree.
Naches Peak
Although the Naches Peak Loop is considered to be a fairly popular hike, it doesn’t attract the crowds that some of Mt. Rainier’s star attractions see, such as in the Paradise or Sunrise areas. There are several reasons why you should put this gem on your hiking itinerary: it’s a relatively easy hike, it provides outstanding views of 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier, and it mostly travels through open country and lush meadows bursting with wildflowers.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Should cameras be installed on popular hiking trails?
Should cameras be installed on popular hiking trails? According to North Shore Rescue in British Columbia, Canada, the answer to that question is yes.
North Shore Rescue spokesman Tim Jones told CBC News that once a search and rescue is activated, crews will be able to review film footage to get a better idea on where to look when a hiker goes missing. He makes this argument in light of the $40,000 in air time, and 1600 hours that his team put into searching for a 22-year-old man that went missing in the North Shore Mountains last November 25th. Had there been video surveillance footage, rescuers believe they could've narrowed their search for the man.
I'm not sure what the conditions were like the day Tom Billings went missing, but I do know that rescuers had to deal with snow and cold during their 7 or 8-week search. What if Tom wore a balaclava? Or what if he was wearing a ski hat and sunglasses? Would rescuers have been able to identify him on film footage?
For me, the question comes down to the issue of privacy. More and more, cameras are creeping into our everyday lives. How far are we willing to allow cameras to intrude into our lives - in the name of safety and security? By using the line of reasoning I've heard for more cameras and more security, you could make the argument that we should be installing cameras in our homes so authorities can make sure were not abusing our spouses or children.
One of the commentors on the story cynically stated:
Another commentor said:
On the other hand, this commentor presented this viewpoint:
So what are your thoughts? How do you feel about surveillance cameras at trailheads? Would we also have to install them at all trail junctions as well, so that potential searchers will know which direction hikers have turned? Perhaps more importantly, is the idea of getting away from it all slowly becoming an illusion?
Thanks to Jeff Clark at Meanderthals for giving me a heads-up on this story.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
North Shore Rescue spokesman Tim Jones told CBC News that once a search and rescue is activated, crews will be able to review film footage to get a better idea on where to look when a hiker goes missing. He makes this argument in light of the $40,000 in air time, and 1600 hours that his team put into searching for a 22-year-old man that went missing in the North Shore Mountains last November 25th. Had there been video surveillance footage, rescuers believe they could've narrowed their search for the man.
I'm not sure what the conditions were like the day Tom Billings went missing, but I do know that rescuers had to deal with snow and cold during their 7 or 8-week search. What if Tom wore a balaclava? Or what if he was wearing a ski hat and sunglasses? Would rescuers have been able to identify him on film footage?
For me, the question comes down to the issue of privacy. More and more, cameras are creeping into our everyday lives. How far are we willing to allow cameras to intrude into our lives - in the name of safety and security? By using the line of reasoning I've heard for more cameras and more security, you could make the argument that we should be installing cameras in our homes so authorities can make sure were not abusing our spouses or children.
One of the commentors on the story cynically stated:
"Why not make everyone who might possibly go off hiking in the wilderness take a course (Hiking 101), then take a test, much like a driving test, and issue them a Hiking Licence once they've passed the test? Sure, it sounds ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as installing surveillance cameras on hiking trails, IMHO."
Another commentor said:
"Why don't they make everyone have a GPS chip implanted in them so the police . . . i mean SAR can find them easier."
On the other hand, this commentor presented this viewpoint:
"Every time you walk into a convenience store, gas bar or any make and manner of business and most probably even your own employment you subject yourself to being captured on video yet you still enter so what's all the yippin' about."
So what are your thoughts? How do you feel about surveillance cameras at trailheads? Would we also have to install them at all trail junctions as well, so that potential searchers will know which direction hikers have turned? Perhaps more importantly, is the idea of getting away from it all slowly becoming an illusion?
Thanks to Jeff Clark at Meanderthals for giving me a heads-up on this story.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Highlighting the Highline Trail
Below is an excellent "hikelogue" from The West is Big! Travel Guides. The film highlights one of the best hikes in America. This epic starts from Logan Pass in the heart of Glacier National Park, and takes hikers along the famous Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet. From the Chalet the filmmakers take you up to the Continental Divide at Swiftcurrent Pass, and then down the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail and into the Many Glacier area. In all, this quintessential Glacier trip covers roughly 15 miles!
Although this might be a fairly difficult hike for most people to do in one day, hikers still have several options for enjoying this spectacular scenery. You could plan to stay overnight at the Granite Park Chalet, thus breaking the hike into two relatively easy days. However, reservations are usually needed several months in advance to stay at this popular backcountry inn. You should also note that you'll need to have two cars, or hire a shuttle to do this one-way hike.
Another option is to take the one-way, 11.8-mile hike from Logan Pass to the Loop . This option takes hikers along the Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet, and then travels west bound down the mountain to a spot on the Going-to-the-Sun Road known as the Loop. Hikers can take the free park shuttle back up to Logan Pass (actually, it's better to park your car at the Loop, and then take the shuttle to Logan Pass first thing in the morning). If this still seems like too many miles, you'll also have the option of hiking out to Haystack Pass . This moderate 7.2-mile out and back hike still offers hikers a lot of world-class mountain scenery.
If you do plan to visit Glacier this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings to help with your vacation planning.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Although this might be a fairly difficult hike for most people to do in one day, hikers still have several options for enjoying this spectacular scenery. You could plan to stay overnight at the Granite Park Chalet, thus breaking the hike into two relatively easy days. However, reservations are usually needed several months in advance to stay at this popular backcountry inn. You should also note that you'll need to have two cars, or hire a shuttle to do this one-way hike.
Another option is to take the one-way, 11.8-mile hike from Logan Pass to the Loop . This option takes hikers along the Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet, and then travels west bound down the mountain to a spot on the Going-to-the-Sun Road known as the Loop. Hikers can take the free park shuttle back up to Logan Pass (actually, it's better to park your car at the Loop, and then take the shuttle to Logan Pass first thing in the morning). If this still seems like too many miles, you'll also have the option of hiking out to Haystack Pass . This moderate 7.2-mile out and back hike still offers hikers a lot of world-class mountain scenery.
If you do plan to visit Glacier this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings to help with your vacation planning.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
More Ice
In my last post, I forgot the bell-bottomed ice-cicles. Not far below the blobular clusters, these stalacticicles dripped from overhanging moss to the stream,...only to be swept away. The terminal drips knocked off again and again, each time a little bit splashed back up to the descending column. What should have tapered, flared.
Fluidity rushing by beneath, while gravitational accretional forms try to grow longer, but only get fatter. Not great photos, and even if they were, not the most amazing of natural phenomena, but I like 'em, and they do not reveal themselves in many of the places where people congregate, so they are all the more special.
| Lili's remix: heavily altered, but somehow more true. |
The Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt
The time is now to gather your friends, family and co-workers to create a team! On March 22nd the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont will hold its 7th annual Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt
The hunt ranges over most of the park, using roads and official trails to access particular areas. Some questions require research to answer. As it is illegal to remove items from the park, one digital camera with a flash memory card will be required per team.
Questions are awarded point values based on level of difficulty. The team with the most points may get prizes, but everybody wins! You can have as many people on your team as you like, provided all fit into one vehicle. The event will take place over a 25-hour period with teams receiving their hunt questions via e-mail by 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21st and are due back at Tremont no later than 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22nd with your answers. A light dinner will be served while tallying takes place. This event is limited to 200 participants so register early!
One registration form per team must be completed and submitted to Tremont. If interested, the cost is $50 per team, if registered by Thursday, March 20th at 4 p.m. It will be $60 after that time. Proceeds from the Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt will benefit the Tremont Scholarship Fund.
For more information and to register, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
The hunt ranges over most of the park, using roads and official trails to access particular areas. Some questions require research to answer. As it is illegal to remove items from the park, one digital camera with a flash memory card will be required per team.
Questions are awarded point values based on level of difficulty. The team with the most points may get prizes, but everybody wins! You can have as many people on your team as you like, provided all fit into one vehicle. The event will take place over a 25-hour period with teams receiving their hunt questions via e-mail by 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21st and are due back at Tremont no later than 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22nd with your answers. A light dinner will be served while tallying takes place. This event is limited to 200 participants so register early!
One registration form per team must be completed and submitted to Tremont. If interested, the cost is $50 per team, if registered by Thursday, March 20th at 4 p.m. It will be $60 after that time. Proceeds from the Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt will benefit the Tremont Scholarship Fund.
For more information and to register, please click here .
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Blog Stew Followed by Pie
¶ That there is, in fact, an actual place called Pie Town, New Mexico, continues to fascinate food writers. Going to Pie Town is compared to eating beignets at the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans — a culinary "rite of passage."
¶ We are still thinking about what Colorado forests will look like after the big beetle kills.
(That is what happens when editors never leave the asphalt.)
¶ "Why Americans are the Weirdest People in the World." A funny read on perception.
¶ We are still thinking about what Colorado forests will look like after the big beetle kills.
During a year of extreme drought, in 2002, the first signs of this latest North American mountain pine beetle outbreak started appearing. From 2006 to 2009, three million acres of red-needled lodgepole pines blossomed into nine million acres of dead trees spanning from New Mexico to Montana, west to Washington, and all the way up into Canada. West of Fort Collins, the picturesque landscape of Rocky Mountain National Park was transfigured when the majority of the park’s large pole [sic. Should be "lodgepole"] pine died.
(That is what happens when editors never leave the asphalt.)
¶ "Why Americans are the Weirdest People in the World." A funny read on perception.
Ice Zoom
From 50 miles away, glaciers may gleam, but ice's intricacy is expressed simply as a reflection of the underlying landscape and overlying light.
A cool thing about frozen water is that sometimes you can glimpse the crystal structure on a pretty large scale, no magnification required. Here on this beaver pond, the freezing surface is only a few millimeters thick, but there are lines a couple of feet long, shooting out in all directions, weaving a web over the whole surface. Between the lines, smooth mirrors of the frozen stuff.
On another beaver pond, the glassy interstices were few. The whole surface was adorned with slivers and feathers of ice.
Meanwhile, by a stream, the spray of a small fall gets locked to a twig in blobular clusters. Not crystalline at all to the naked eye, more like ginseng roots or some other living thing.
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